Commonwealth Working Dog Club is holding its spring trial at Rosaryville State Park on April 25 in Upper Marlboro, MD. This is southern Maryland, down near where PG County and St. Charles County converge.

Tracking starts super-early, probably around 7, obedience probably around 9:30 or 10 a.m. protection shortly after lunch. The club will be grilling up some burgers and hot dogs, and probably selling some sandwiches, at lunchtime.

Doc and I are on board to do a SCH I at this trial, barring any serious training problems or injuries. So come on out if you're in the area.

babyreba wrote:Commonwealth Working Dog Club is holding its spring trial at Rosaryville State Park on April 25 in Upper Marlboro, MD. This is southern Maryland, down near where PG County and St. Charles County converge.

Tracking starts super-early, probably around 7, obedience probably around 9:30 or 10 a.m. protection shortly after lunch. The club will be grilling up some burgers and hot dogs, and probably selling some sandwiches, at lunchtime.

Doc and I are on board to do a SCH I at this trial, barring any serious training problems or injuries. So come on out if you're in the area.

will this be an "open" trial where non-members of the club can also trial? I wouldn't mind throwing Cy in the BH and SchA...he has a USA Schutzhund scorebook...

Brit, I think this club has held "closed" trials before...or for only a select group...this is only a one-day trial...so I'll only be able to get his BH...but it would still be cool...b/c then next time I can go for the A...heck, you never know...I may also throw Neeners in a BH

no, it's not a closed trial. and we don't hold closed club trials at all . . . the only trial that wasn't open to everyone was the KG North Regionals, which we hosted last November. and that was a regional championship for members of our KG, not a regular club trial.

The judge won't touch your dog, but you have to show him your dog's tattoo, and he has to get close enough to see it; or if your dog is chipped, someone has to be able to scan your dog without problems, but that's usually pretty brief and you can hold your dog while they do it.

The "temperament test" portion of the exam, which comes at the end, is where people really come closest to the dog. The dog has to be able to enter a group of people and the group may be asked to close in on the dog a bit, then mill about, and the judge who did my BH asked me to have the dog sit and down in the group as well. Then the judge will enter the group and shake your hand, and the dog has to remain neutral.

They also have you tie the dog to a post and have a bicycle rider go by, a jogger, and a pedestrian walking a dog . . . all pretty easy stuff, and the dog doesn't have to hold a command, it just has to show that it's neutral to all the common activities going on around it. only catch is that you have to be out of sight during this portion of the test.

I don't think my dog will have any trouble with the traffic portion b/c I can use obedience with him...as long as they're not actually TOUCHING the dog, I can get him past it...same with the microchip scan...I've had decoys stand over him, etc...he LISTENS beautifully...I can down and sit in a group (actually with people not in suits, it's easier to control him)...